Matching Items (14)
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Mathematical modeling of infectious diseases can help public health officials to make decisions related to the mitigation of epidemic outbreaks. However, over or under estimations of the morbidity of any infectious disease can be problematic. Therefore, public health officials can always make use of better models to study the potential

Mathematical modeling of infectious diseases can help public health officials to make decisions related to the mitigation of epidemic outbreaks. However, over or under estimations of the morbidity of any infectious disease can be problematic. Therefore, public health officials can always make use of better models to study the potential implication of their decisions and strategies prior to their implementation. Previous work focuses on the mechanisms underlying the different epidemic waves observed in Mexico during the novel swine origin influenza H1N1 pandemic of 2009 and showed extensions of classical models in epidemiology by adding temporal variations in different parameters that are likely to change during the time course of an epidemic, such as, the influence of media, social distancing, school closures, and how vaccination policies may affect different aspects of the dynamics of an epidemic. This current work further examines the influence of different factors considering the randomness of events by adding stochastic processes to meta-population models. I present three different approaches to compare different stochastic methods by considering discrete and continuous time. For the continuous time stochastic modeling approach I consider the continuous-time Markov chain process using forward Kolmogorov equations, for the discrete time stochastic modeling I consider stochastic differential equations using Wiener's increment and Poisson point increments, and also I consider the discrete-time Markov chain process. These first two stochastic modeling approaches will be presented in a one city and two city epidemic models using, as a base, our deterministic model. The last one will be discussed briefly on a one city SIS and SIR-type model.
ContributorsCruz-Aponte, Maytee (Author) / Wirkus, Stephen A. (Thesis advisor) / Castillo-Chavez, Carlos (Thesis advisor) / Camacho, Erika T. (Committee member) / Kang, Yun (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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Introduction. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infections globally. HPV is responsible for several health concerns including genital warts, cancer of the cervix, vulva, penis, anus, and oropharynx. In China, HPV infection accounts for 69.1% of invasive cervical cancer. Currently, there is no treatment for HPV infection,

Introduction. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infections globally. HPV is responsible for several health concerns including genital warts, cancer of the cervix, vulva, penis, anus, and oropharynx. In China, HPV infection accounts for 69.1% of invasive cervical cancer. Currently, there is no treatment for HPV infection, but HPV vaccination has been proven to be effective against HPV-related diseases. Given the highest rate of contracting HPV and suboptimal vaccination rate in college students including international students in the U.S., it is important to investigate key factors associated with vaccine uptake among Chinese international students. Purpose. This study aimed to investigate knowledge and awareness of HPV and the vaccine, attitudes, and vaccination intention in this population. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey via REDCap. Methods. Participants who were (1) Chinese international student at Arizona State University; (2) 18 and older; (3) able to read, speak and write in Chinese or English were recruited from Arizona State University. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency) and inferential statistics (Chi-square test, independent t-test) were conducted using SPSS 26.0. Results. One hundred and ten participants were included in this study (56.4% female, mean age = 24, SD = 3.7). Female students had significantly higher HPV vaccination rate than males (p = 0.000). The mean knowledge score was 8.09 (SD = 1.35); female students were more likely to receive HPV education than males (p = 0.001). The most common source of education was friends (50.7%). Three most common perceived risks were not being sexually active, being male, and not having any physical signs and symptoms. The three most common facilitators were infection prevention, access to vaccination, and ability to afford vaccination. The three most common barriers were the cost, safety, and efficacy of HPV vaccine. In conclusion, gender disparities exist among Chinese<br/>international students’ HPV vaccine uptake and HPV related education. Implication. Although Chinese international students possess moderate to high level of knowledge about HPV and HPV vaccines, they lack education from credible sources. Culturally and gender appropriate education is needed in order to address barriers of getting HPV vaccination.

ContributorsChen, Weiqi (Author) / Chen, Angela Chia-Chen (Thesis director) / Reifsnider, Elizabeth (Committee member) / Han, SeungYong (Committee member) / Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation (Contributor, Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description

The Founders lab is a year-long program that gives its students an opportunity to participate in a unique team-based, experiential Barrett honors thesis project to design and apply marketing and sales strategies, as well as business and financial models to start up and launch a new business. This honors thesis

The Founders lab is a year-long program that gives its students an opportunity to participate in a unique team-based, experiential Barrett honors thesis project to design and apply marketing and sales strategies, as well as business and financial models to start up and launch a new business. This honors thesis project focuses on increasing the rate of vaccination outcomes in a country where people are increasingly busy (less time) and unwilling to get a needle through a new business venture that provides a service that brings vaccinations straight to businesses, making them available for their employees. Through our work with the Founders Lab, our team was able to create this pitch deck.

ContributorsHanzlick, Emily Anastasia (Co-author) / Zatonskiy, Albert (Co-author) / Gomez, Isaias (Co-author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Hall, Rick (Committee member) / Silverstein, Taylor (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is associated with several types of cancer and genital warts. No cure exists for those currently infected with HPV, but a vaccine is available that can prevent the virus and development of cancers associated with HPV. Military servicemembers are

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is associated with several types of cancer and genital warts. No cure exists for those currently infected with HPV, but a vaccine is available that can prevent the virus and development of cancers associated with HPV. Military servicemembers are at a high risk for contracting HPV; it is one of the most common STIs among active duty service members. The health consequences of HPV can impact a servicemember’s military readiness. The HPV vaccine is not required for military servicemembers, but it is offered free of charge. HPV vaccination rates among military service members remain relatively low.

The purpose of this evidence-based project was to increase the level of knowledge about HPV, improve health beliefs regarding HPV, increase HPV vaccine intention, recommendation, and uptake. Using the Health Belief Model as an organizing framework, a population targeted eight-minute education video on HPV and HPV vaccination was developed. It was implemented at an outpatient military treatment facility located in the southwest United States over a 6-week period, to newly reported service members. Participants included 116 military service members aged 18 to 45. A pretest and posttest questionnaire were used to assess the impact of the intervention. HPV level of knowledge increased significantly from pretest to posttest mean scores were 3.00 to 4.39 respectively (p < .001). HPV vaccine intention increased from 62% to 66% (p = .739). HPV vaccine recommendation increased from 62% to 85% (p < .001).

ContributorsLavender, Vanessa (Author) / Link, Denise (Contributor)
Created2020-04-28
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been causing high rates of hospitalization and death among the marginalized Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Disaggregated data revealed low COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Korean Americans/Immigrants (KA/I) due to vaccine-related fears unaddressed by cultural and linguistic barriers. Prior evidence demonstrates that digital storytelling (DST)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been causing high rates of hospitalization and death among the marginalized Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Disaggregated data revealed low COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Korean Americans/Immigrants (KA/I) due to vaccine-related fears unaddressed by cultural and linguistic barriers. Prior evidence demonstrates that digital storytelling (DST) is an effective medium to improve recommended vaccine intent and uptake among AAPIs. Objective: This DNP project aimed to assess the effect of DST intervention on improving KA/I’s COVID-19-related vaccine hesitancy, intent, and uptake. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was conducted, with participants (n=4) self-identifying as KA/I adults with English or Korean fluency residing in the U.S. Participants were recruited online via convenience sampling from CARE (Collaborative Approach for AAPI Research and Education). Individuals who had already received COVID-19 vaccines were excluded. The intervention included two first-person audiovisual stories documenting the personal experience of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Outcomes were measured via a pre-post-1-month-follow-up survey utilizing a modified Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (? = 0.72) and Narrative Quality Assessment Tool (? = 0.78-0.81). Results: DST intervention had a marginally significant effect on lowering post-COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy scores (p = 0.068). Participants (n=2) who rated the DST videos with a higher score indicated vaccine uptake at one-month follow-up. Conclusion: This cost-effective, sustainable, and scalable DST evidence-based project has the potential to promote COVID-19 vaccination among KA/I and other AAPI groups with appropriate modification.
Created2022-05-01
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In 2014, Flor M. Munoz and colleagues published “Safety and Immunogenicity of Tetanus Diphtheria and Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Immunization During Pregnancy in Mothers and Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” hereafter “Tdap Immunization During Pregnancy,” in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The authors conducted a study to determine how

In 2014, Flor M. Munoz and colleagues published “Safety and Immunogenicity of Tetanus Diphtheria and Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Immunization During Pregnancy in Mothers and Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” hereafter “Tdap Immunization During Pregnancy,” in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The authors conducted a study to determine how Tdap immunization affected the mother and infant’s immune response to the common childhood diseases tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. They found that Tdap immunization did not lead to an increased risk of adverse health events. Furthermore, maternal Tdap immunization provided the infant with protective levels of pertussis antibodies after delivery and did not affect the infant differently from the DTaP vaccination series, which is the version of Tdap for young children. The authors’ findings in “Tdap Immunization During Pregnancy” supported the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s, or CDC’s, recommendation for pregnant women to receive the Tdap vaccine to prevent disease in mother and infant.

Created2022-12-15
Description

In 2014, Flor M. Munoz and colleagues published “Safety and Immunogenicity of Tetanus Diphtheria and Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Immunization During Pregnancy in Mothers and Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” hereafter “Tdap Immunization During Pregnancy,” in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The authors conducted a study to determine how

In 2014, Flor M. Munoz and colleagues published “Safety and Immunogenicity of Tetanus Diphtheria and Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) Immunization During Pregnancy in Mothers and Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” hereafter “Tdap Immunization During Pregnancy,” in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The authors conducted a study to determine how Tdap immunization affected the mother and infant’s immune response to the common childhood diseases tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. They found that Tdap immunization did not lead to an increased risk of adverse health events. Furthermore, maternal Tdap immunization provided the infant with protective levels of pertussis antibodies after delivery and did not affect the infant differently from the DTaP vaccination series, which is the version of Tdap for young children. The authors’ findings in “Tdap Immunization During Pregnancy” supported the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s, or CDC’s, recommendation for pregnant women to receive the Tdap vaccine to prevent disease in mother and infant.

Created2022-12-16
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Aims: The aim of this research is to identify factors that would lead to increased utilization of the HPV vaccine among college students.
Methods: We conducted 11 focus groups with a total of 28 students, averaging 3 per group. Using an inductive approach, we hand-coded focus group transcripts, developed a coding

Aims: The aim of this research is to identify factors that would lead to increased utilization of the HPV vaccine among college students.
Methods: We conducted 11 focus groups with a total of 28 students, averaging 3 per group. Using an inductive approach, we hand-coded focus group transcripts, developed a coding structure, and discussed themes as they emerged from the data.
Results: Although more than half of the students had never heard of the HPV vaccine, students generally held positive views about vaccines. Barriers to receiving the HPV vaccine included lack of awareness and knowledge about the HPV vaccine, as well as lack of perceived need for the vaccine. When asked about the most important information that they needed in order to make an informed decision about whether or not to get the vaccine, participants mentioned the following: 1) prevalence of HPV, 2) HPV-related diseases, 3) what the HPV vaccine protects against, 4) HPV vaccine safety, 5) HPV vaccine efficacy, and 6) how they can access the vaccine. Participants differed in their preferences for types of health education, from an in-person informative lecture, to YouTube videos, to posters placed in dorms or in bathrooms. They preferred the conveyor of this information to be a trustworthy source; they identified healthcare providers, professors/researchers, and other students who have received the vaccine as credible sources. In terms of message appeal, many students described wanting the facts, statistics about HPV prevalence and the vaccine as well as narratives from students who have been diagnosed with HPV and those who have experience receiving the vaccine.
Conclusions: Although this cancer prevention resource has been commercially available since 2006, college students still a lack of awareness and perceived need for the HPV vaccine. Future health education efforts should utilize participants’ recommendations to increase students’ understanding of HPV and the HPV vaccine and, therefore, impact their perceived susceptibility to HPV, the benefits of the vaccine to their health, and therefore increase utilization of this resource. Strategies to increase vaccination should include health education and vaccine implementation strategies, as well as strategies to reduce the cost of the vaccine for college students, thereby increasing the accessibility of the vaccine for this population.
ContributorsSilvestro, Kenneth (Co-author) / Li, Rina (Co-author) / Koskan, Alexis (Thesis director) / Helitzer, Deborah (Committee member) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Background: Vaccination is an effective public health tool; however, immunization rates are low in American adults, with disparities existing for Hispanics compared to non-Hispanic Caucasians, uninsured individuals, undocumented immigrants, and low-income individuals (Lu et al., 2014; Lu et al., 2015; Williams et al., 2016). Consequently, 42,000 adults still die each

Background: Vaccination is an effective public health tool; however, immunization rates are low in American adults, with disparities existing for Hispanics compared to non-Hispanic Caucasians, uninsured individuals, undocumented immigrants, and low-income individuals (Lu et al., 2014; Lu et al., 2015; Williams et al., 2016). Consequently, 42,000 adults still die each year in the United States (US) from vaccine-preventable diseases, and nine billion dollars are spent on associated healthcare costs and lost productivity (ADHS, 2015; Wilson et al., 2019). To improve adult vaccination rates, the National Vaccine Advisory Committee recommends the Standards for Adult Immunization Practices, including regular assessment, recommendation, delivery or referral, and documentation during follow-up on vaccination (Orenstein et al., 2014; CDC, 2016). Local problem: A free clinic in Arizona serving uninsured, undocumented Latin American immigrants had low vaccination rates and a deficiency in vaccination documentation in electronic medical records. Methods: An evidence-based quality improvement project was conducted to address low vaccination rates and provider practices using a multi-component intervention. The effect and usage were evaluated through chart audits and pre- post-intervention surveys. Interventions: A vaccination questionnaire was administered at all in-person primary care visits. Brief educational videos were provided to providers and office staff before the intervention addressing the questionnaire's use, purpose, and goals. Adult immunization schedule printouts were made available in all patient rooms and provider charting areas. Additionally, a resource sheet on local free immunization programs was created for providers and patients. Results: The intervention's effect was unable to be determined due to a breakdown in the protocol after the second week of implementation. However, 92% of completed questionnaires reviewed indicated the patient needed one or more vaccination. Sixty-five percent of electronic medical records reviewed had no vaccination documentation historically for assessment, recommendation, referral, follow-up, or scanned vaccination records. No charts reviewed had these areas documented regularly. Conclusion: Vaccination rates and the Standards of Adult Immunization Practices are low at the free clinic. Further quality improvement measures are indicated addressing barriers present.
Created2021-04-27
Modeling and leveraging intuitive theories to improve vaccine attitudes
Description

Much of the richness of human thought is supported by people’s intuitive theories—mental frameworks capturing the perceived structure of the world. But intuitive theories can sometimes contain and reinforce misconceptions, such as misconceptions about vaccine safety that discourage vaccination. We argue that addressing misconceptions requires awareness of the broader conceptual

Much of the richness of human thought is supported by people’s intuitive theories—mental frameworks capturing the perceived structure of the world. But intuitive theories can sometimes contain and reinforce misconceptions, such as misconceptions about vaccine safety that discourage vaccination. We argue that addressing misconceptions requires awareness of the broader conceptual contexts in which they are embedded. Here, we developed a cognitive model of the intuitive theory surrounding vaccination decisions. Using this model, we were able to make accurate predictions about how people’s beliefs would be revised in light of educational interventions, design an effective new intervention encouraging vaccination, and understand how these beliefs were affected by real-world events. This approach provides the foundation for richer understandings of intuitive theories and belief revision more broadly.

ContributorsPowell, Derek (Author) / Weisman, Kara (Author) / Markman, Ellen M. (Author)
Created2021